Bath apparatus.



G. G. WIGGINS.

BATH APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 0, 1911.

1,022,346, Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Eta-.5-

George G. yin/s,

COLUMBIA PLANOIJRAPH Cu" WASHINGTON. n. c.

: TE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE G. WIGGINS, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR 0F TWO-THIRDS TOCHARLES 0. RICE AND NORMAN MACDONALD, BOTH 0F DENVER, COLORADO.

BATH APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. l/VIGGINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bath Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in bathapparatus and more particularly to vapor bath cabinets, the inventionhaving for its primary object the provision of a device of thischaracter, simple and durable in construction, highly efficient inoperation and which may be manufactured at comparatively small cost.

The invention has for a further object the provision of an apparatus ofthe above described character wherein the various parts are so arrangedand assembled that they may be easily and quickly removed and cleansedwhereby the apparatus may be maintained in a thoroughly sanitarycondition.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby anequal distribution of the vapor throughout the receiving chamber beneaththe body supporting table may be secured.

WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vaporbath apparatus embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection thereof; Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 ofFig. 1; Fig. 1- is a detail horizontal section taken on the line -ll ofFig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the vapor spreader.

Referring in detail to the drawings 5 designates the parallellongitudinal bars of a supporting frame to the ends of which thevertical legs or uprights 6 are secured which are braced by means of thebars 7 The transverse connecting bars 8 also connect the supporting legs6 at their upper ends and are downwardly curved to support Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed December 9, 1911.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Serial No. 664,798.

the ends of the lower section 9 of a body receiving housing. This lowersection of the housing is provided at its upper edge with the flanges 10and 11 upon the sides and ends respectively thereof which rest upon thelongitudinal and end bars 5 and 8 of the frame. The longitudinal bars 5are preferably of angle form in cross section as shown in Fig. 2 and theflanged edges of the housing section 9 are bent around the edges of thehorizontal flanges of said angle bars as indicated at 12 so as to retainthe housing section thereon and hold the same against vertical movement.

The upper section 13 of the housing or casing has secured to itslongitudinal edges and extending the entire length thereof the dependingplates 14 which fit between the side walls of the lower housing section9 and closely engage the same. These plates direct the waters ofcondensation which gather upon the walls of the upper housing section13, into the lower section 9 through which they are discharged throughan outlet 15 provided in one end of said lower section. The upperhousing section is centrally provided with an exhaust pipe 16 for thesteam in which a sliding valve plate 17 may be arranged so that therelease of the same may be regulated and the temperature of the interiorof the housing varied as desired.

Upon the side walls of the lower housing section 9 and spaced from theupper edges thereof the angle bars 18 are arranged. A body supportingbed is arranged within the lower housing section and consists of aplurality of transverse bars 19 the upper edges of which are concave asindicated at 19. To these concave upper edges of the bars 19 thelongitudinal slats 20 are secured, said slats being arranged in closespaced relation to provide a comfortable support for the body. The endsof the transverse bars 19 are notched or recessed as indicated at 21 toreceive the horizontal flanges of the angle bars 18. One of the endwalls of the upper housing section 13 is provided with an opening 22 toaccommodate the neck of the patient, the head resting upon an exteriortransverse support 23 which is braced by means thereof a support 28 issecured on which a cup or vessel 29 is adapted to be arranged. Thls cupor vessel contains the water and chemicals which are to be convertedinto vapor and discharged into the housing beneath the body supportingbed. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings an ordinary gas burner 30 is provided as the heat supplyingmedium, said burner being disposed centrally within the lower end of thecasing of the heater beneath the vessel support 28.

To the opposite sides of the casing of the heater one of the ends of theconducting tubes 31 are attached, said tubes extending through thecasing walls and having their lower portions extended over the cup orvessel 29 so that the water may be directed back into said cup. Theouter ends of these conducting tubes are angularly disposed and upwardlyextended to receive the lower portions of the short tubes 32 which arefixed intermediate of their ends in the bottom wall of the housingsection 9. Over the upper ends of these short tubes 32 which extendwithin the housing the spreaders 33 are arranged. These spreadersconsist of a sheet metal plate flanged at its opposite edges asindicated at 34. These flanges rest upon the bottom wall of the housingand support the intermediate portion of the plate in spaced relationthereto and above the upper ends of the tubes 32. These spreaders attheir ends are entirely open so that the steam upon striking upon thespreader plates will be deflected in opposite directions longitudinallywithin the housing, thus effecting a substantially equal distribution ofthe steam or vapor throughout the interior of the housing and beneaththe body supporting bed.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and manner of useof my improved bath apparatus will be fully understood. After thepatient has taken his position upon the supporting bed which is arranged within the lower housing section 9, the upper or cover section ofthe housing is then arranged upon said lower section in the mannerpreviously described so that the body is completely inclosed. Thechemical containing cup or vessel is now arranged within the heater andthe burner 30 is lighted. The steam arising from said vessel passesthrough the conducting tubes 31 and into the housing where it isdistributed beneath the body supporting bed by the spreader plates 33.This steam rises between the slats 20 of the supporting bed and contactswith the body of the patient so that the curative properties of thechemically impregnated vapor will obtain full ef feet before they escapefrom the exhaust or out-let pipe 16. As before stated the amount ofsteam or vapor to be held within the housing may be suitably regulatedby simply adjusting the valve plate 17.

By means of the construction above set forth, it will be readilyobserved that the parts may be quickly disassembled so that the bodysupporting bed can be removed and thoroughly cleansed when necessary.One end of the casing of the heater 25 is of course provided with asuitable door 35 so that access may be had to the interior thereof forthe removal of the vessel 29. My improved bath apparatus is alsocomparatively simple in construction, the parts thereof being ofordinary form so that they can be manufactured at small cost and maytherefore be replaced when necessary at slight expense. The device isalso extremely durable and highly efficient in practical use.

WVhile I have shown and described the preferred construct-ion andarrangement of the various parts, it will be understood that the deviceis susceptible of considerable modification in their formand arrangementwithout departing from the essential feature or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. In anapparatus of the character de scribed, a frame, a housing mountedtherein, a body supporting bed arranged within said housing, a heatercentrally arranged beneath the housing and depending from the bottomwall thereof, vessel supports arranged within said heater, vaporconducting tubes connected at one of their ends to the heater and attheir other ends to the bot tom of the housing upon opposite sides ofits center, the lower portions of the ends of the tubes connected to theheater being extended inwardly to direct the waters of condensation intothe vessel arranged in said heater, and means arranged within thehousing for distributing the vapor beneath said body supporting bed.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a frame, a housingconsisting of two sections, one of said sections being permanentlymounted in the frame, plates secured to the walls of the other of saidhousing sections to be received between the opposed walls of the firstnamed section and closely engaged upon the inner surfaces thereof tofrict-ionally hold said sections in assembled relation, angle barssecured to the section of the housing adjacent its opposite side Wallsof the first named housing section, ends. '10 a body supporting bedremovably mounted In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my upon saidangle bars, depending angle plates signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

secured to the bottom of the first named GEORGE G. WIGGINS. housingsection, a heater secured between Witnesses:

said angle plates, and vapor conducting JOHN F. RoLAsoK,

tubes connecting said heater to the bottom GEORGE VARNUM.

(Iopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

